Tonight’s game features a pair of teams coming off lackluster seasons.  With just 7 wins and 17 losses between the two of them, you can bet that either team will be happy to walk away with a victory to start their 2008 season.
Army took last year’s game against Temple by a score of 37-21 and the Black Knights have won 4 of the 5 games in the series history, even though Temple ended 2007 with a better overall record.

Temple is an interesting team because they have all 22 starters back from the 2007 season.  This experience could be just what the doctor ordered for a team that lacked in consistency throughout the course of the season.  The Owls have shifted some of their skill players on offense to new positions with hopes that they can better utilize the talent that they do have.  It will take a few games to see if these moves will payoff for Temple, but you can’t fault them for trying to improve their team after last year’s 4-8 record.

A program that hasn’t been known for their football in a long, long time, Temple will need to continue to improve on both sides of the ball.  Their defense has been steadily improving over the past few seasons and while they still well beyond where they would like to be, with all 11 starters returning you have to believe they will continue to improve.

Looking at Army’s offense from last season, you can clearly see there is a lot of work to be done.  Ranked 111th in rushing offense and 95th in passing offense, Army probably feels like they have nowhere to go but up.  All indications are the Black Knights will make a return to the option style offense, which could reap them some benefits in the ground game, but may cause them to slip even further down the ranks in passing offense.

Defensively, Army was one of the worst in the country last season, allowing 423 offensive yards per game, including ranking 117th in the nation against the run.  The Knights had no signs of a pass-rush last season, and that ranking near the bottom of College Football in rushing defense tells you why.  If you can’t stop the run, you can’t run blitz packages as often to keep the opposing team’s QB off-balance.  The defensive line returns some experience, but their secondary could be in trouble with many young faces starting in 2008.

Based on last season’s performance you might lean toward Army in Friday’s game, but this Temple squad has much more experience and should be the more improved of the two teams.

Game Odds: 
Temple -7 (-110)
Army +7 (-110)

Spread Report Prediction:  Temple 31  Army 13

Want to bet on this game?  Check out ThePig.com.  If you’re tired of your sportsbook taking too long to processor your payouts, you need to sign up with The Pig!

Popularity: 9% [?]

The Celtics grabbed the first two games on the NBA Finals in fairly decisive fashion.  The big question is whether or not the Lakers can get back on track with a couple of wins at home.  It looks like the odds-makers are on the Lakers’ side, setting them as 9.5 point favorites for Tuesday’s game.  This might seem like a lot of points, but if you look at the combination of the Lakers’ performance at home this season (especially in the playoffs) and the overall trend of home teams winning in the playoffs, the line probably isn’t too far off.  L.A. will need more help from their supporting staff than they’ve received in the first two games of the Finals.  Not surprisingly, Kobe Bryant has been the leading scorer and has hit key shots in difficult situations.  This has not been enough, however, as the rest of the team has not been playing their role as effectively as they did in say the series against the Spurs.  Boston got a pair of great performances out of Paul Pierce, something not many expected.  The Celtics will need to find the other two of the big three in future games because, as we’ve seen with the Lakers and Kobe, you don’t want to hang your hat on just one big scorer.  Tuesday’s odds have been posted over at Bodoglife.com.

NBA Finals - Game 3 Odds

Boston Celtics +9.5 @
Los Angeles Lakers -9.5

Popularity: 12% [?]

The stage has been set for an epic showdown of past NBA powers.  The two most successful franchises in NBA history, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Lakers meet in Boston Thursday, June 5th for game one of the NBA Finals.  There’s a lot to consider for this year’s finals.  Can Kobe finally get that elusive ring without the help of Big Daddy Shaq?  Can Phil Jackson further cement his place in the NBA Hall of Fame by adding yet another championship to his legacy?  Can Kevin Garnett finally overcome his label of being the best individual player in the NBA that hasn’t won a championship?  Will the Celtics end their hugely hyped season with the Big Three as champions or merely contestants?  Phew!  That’s is a lot to consider.  No matter who you’re backing in this year’s finals it’s hard to deny that this is the best possible match-up, both for the fans, for the league, and, let’s face it, for the league’s advertisers.  Even the casual NBA fan can get behind a classic Boston v. L.A. series.  Game one starts at 9pm Eastern Time from the Banknorth Garden in Boston.  Here’s a quick look at the latest odds on the game, brought to you by the best place to bet the NBA Finals this season,BodogLife.com!

NBA Championship - Game One Odds

Los Angeles Lakers +2.5
@ Boston Celtics -2.5

Popularity: 12% [?]

Saturday, June 7th could be a historic day in the world of horse racing as Big Brown chases the sport’s most prestigious award, the Triple Crown.  Having already won the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes, Big Brown just needs to come out on top at Belmont to complete the triple crown.  He is already a heavy favorite against the rest of the field.  His top competition looks like it will be coming from Casino Drive, who, at 7/2, is by far the closest competitor according to the odds.  There have been some concerns that Big Brown is tired out, that the close races and travel would impede his run at the crown, but his trainers and  outside experts alike have put to bed any of those worries by watching him this Tuesday morning.  This is the type of event that really transcends a sport like horse racing.  There hasn’t been a Triple Crown winner in nearly 30 years, and now we all get a chance to possibly witness history.  While it takes character to cheer for the underdog, there’s no shame in cheering on greatness.  The world will be watching to see if Big Brown can live up to the enormous expectations that have been placed on him.  Now, let’s look at the odds that are currently posted on each horse scheduled to run in the Belmont Stakes.

Odds to Win the 2008 Belmont Stakes as posted at BodogLife.com

Big Brown   1/3

Casino Drive   7/2

Denis Of Cork   10/1

Tale Of Ekati   20/1

Behindatthebar   25/1

Anak Nakal   40/1

Macho Again   40/1

Readys Image   50/1

Icabad Crane   50/1

Mint Lane   50/1

Spark Candle   50/1

Tomcito  50/1

Popularity: 22% [?]

The 2008 NBA Draft is set for June 26th, but it’s never to early to start making predictions about who will be selected as the #1 overall pick.  The Chicago Bulls won the first pick in the lottery and they will have a tough choice to make.  The two favorite candidates right now are Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley.  Rose should be a solid NBA guard.  You might remember him tearing it up for Memphis throughout the regular season and the NCAA Tournament.  In 2007, Rose averaged 14.9 points per game, 4.2 assists per game, 4.5 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.  While those numbers don’t exactly jump out and say “superstar”, keep in mind he had a lot of teammates who could score, and he’s consistently shown he has NBA talent.  The Bulls already have a decent back-court, but Rose would certainly be an upgrade.  According to reports around the major sports networks, the Bulls aren’t sold on Beasley’s ability to have an immediate impact, so Rose is being touted as the favorite to be selected at the top spot.  It should go without saying, however, that the Bulls have to be considering drafting the services of Kansas State power forward, Michael Beasley.  Beasley was the most prolific scorer in college basketball in 2007.  He averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.6 blocked shots per game.  At 6-10 he has the size to be an immediate impact player on any team.  The Bulls could certainly use a presence in the paint, but we’ll have to wait and see which direction they decide to go.  Beyond these two outstanding players, there isn’t another #1 overall pick in the class, but SportsBook.com has posted the odds for a few of the other players that have entered the NBA draft for 2008.

2008 NBA Draft - Odds to be Selected with the #1 Pick from Sportsbook.com

Brock Lopez - Forward - Stanford:  50-1

Derrick Rose - Guard - Memphis:  10-13

Kevin Love - Center - UCLA:  250-1

Michael Beasley - Forward - Kansas State:  1-1

O.J. Mayo - Guard - USC:  50-1

*Field - Any other player to be selected #1 overall:  50-1

Popularity: 14% [?]

Game one of the NBA’s Eastern Conference Finals saw the Boston Celtics get out front early and ride to a seemingly easy victory.  Boston is at home again and is again favored to win.  The Pistons have to be desperate to pick up a win on Thursday night as it will be terribly difficult for them to recover from a 2-0 deficit.  If current trends continue, the Celtics will win Thursday, Detroit will win the next two of the series, and the Celtics will win game seven in Boston.  I think the numbers have to catch up, it just isn’t clear yet who they will catch up to.  Looking at the regular season results, you have to think that the Celtics have what it takes to win on the road, they just haven’t proven they can do it in the playoffs.  The Pistons have a great deal of motivation for the game, but they haven’t done anything to impress me enough to think they can win in Boston.  Thursday might be the night that home teams take a turn for the worse and finally stop the domination of the NBA Playoffs, but I wouldn’t bet on it.

Here are the odds for Thursday Night’s NBA Eastern Conference Playoff - Game 2 as posted at Sportsbook.com :

Detroit Pistons @ Boston Celtics -3.5

Popularity: 12% [?]

Sunday, May 18th & Monday, May 19th
NBA fans get some bonus action from this year’s playoffs as both the Cavs/Celtics and Spurs/Hornets series will go to the seventh and final game of the conference semi-final round.  It will be interesting in both games, as well as the remaining NBA playoff games, to see if the trend of home teams dominating their opponents will continue.  The count is now at 13-2, an unprecedented winning percentage for home playoff teams.  It’s become something of a self-fulfilling prophecy at this point.  There’s so much talk about it, plus the numbers to back it up, so teams naturally start believing that they cannot lose at home.  Obviously, teams do have some advantage playing on their home court, but this year they’ve taken it to a completely new level.  If the trend continues, it looks like Boston and New Orleans will advance, but I’m not sold on either one.  The Celtics are starting to remind me a little bit of the New England Patriots last year.  They were so dominant in the regular season, but couldn’t get the job done in the only game that really mattered for their season.  This isn’t the NBA Finals, but it is a very important step for Boston if they want to win the NBA Championship and be considered one of the best teams in the history of the sport.  I also don’t think you can sleep on the Spurs.  Ever.  Chris Paul and the Hornets are having an amazing season.  CP is probably the MVP of the playoffs so far, but his team needs to get past a San Antonio team that knows exactly where they are and what they have to do to win.  Knowing and executing are two very different things, but the Spurs are just so experienced in the playoffs it would be stupid to write them off.  Pick:  For my money, I’d stick with the home teams to win outright.  Against the spread, I’d lean on Cleveland +8 and New Orleans -4.

Odds for the Up-Coming NBA Playoff Games Provided by BodogLife.com

5/18/2008
Cleveland Cavs +8 @
Boston Celtics -8

5/19/2008
San Antonio Spurs +4 @
New Orleans Hornets -4

Popularity: 11% [?]

The Preakness Stakes hits the ground running this Saturday.  The Stakes doesn’t carry quite as much clout as the Kentucky Derby (nothing in the world of horse racing does), but everyone’s eyes will still be on Pimlico this weekend.  Let’s face it, everyone wants a Triple Crown winner.  It’s been a long time.  Nearly 29 years.  In 1979 Affirmed ran away with the crown, and there have been some close calls over the years, but no Triple Crown winners since.  I have to say that 2008’s field looks pretty good for Big Brown.  He’s a heavy, heavy favorite on Saturday.  I’m sure that everyone in the horse racing community wants him to win, and thinks he will win, and they are probably right.  He’s by far the best horse of the group.  Big Brown’s #1 fan this weekend has to be Belmont Park (home of the Belmont Stakes).  Imagine the increased buzz if Big Brown has a chance for the Triple Crown.  Then again, imagine the lack of interest if he finishes 2nd at the Preakness.  For what it’s worth, I’ve always been a fan of getting to see history.  I’m not old enough to remember Affirmed, and I, for one, would like to see a Triple Crown winner in my lifetime.  Go Big Brown, go!  For those of you looking at who to bet on this Saturday, I’ve provided the most recent odds posted at Sportsbook.com.  It’s not always fun to bet on the favorite, so have some character and pick a long-shot, it just might pay off!

Here’s a look at  Sportsbook.com’s odds for Saturday’s Preakness Stakes:

Behindatthebar 7 - 1

Yankee Bravo 20 - 1

Good Luck!

Popularity: 11% [?]

It’s known as “The Most Exciting Two Minutes in Sports”.  From the center of the horse racing universe, Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky on Saturday, May 3rd, comes the 134th running of the Kentucky Derby.  The field has been set, so naturally the odds have already been posted for who will win the big race this year.  There are two clear-cut favorite horses in this year’s group with Big Brown and Colonel John both coming in with 4 to 1 odds to win the derby.  After the big two, Pyro is next in line with odds makers giving him a 7 to 1 chance to finish first.  What’s interesting about the race is that, after the top 3, the odds increase drastically.  This is sure to change as money starts to flow in on each horse and rider, but early on it looks like the experts are predicting one of those three to come out on top.  It’s always hard to find a balance between a horse that actually has a chance to win an event with this many top-class animals and a horse that is worth betting on because you’ll get a bigger payout if he or she wins.  In any event, here are the latest odds on who will win the Kentucky Derby as of today, as posted at BodogLife:

Odds to Win the 2008 Kentucky Derby

The Favorites
Colonel John                4/1
Big Brown                    4/1
Pyro                              7/1

The Contenders
Z Fortune                   12/1
Denis of Cork             14/1
Eight Belles                14/1
Visionarie                   16/1

The Middle of the Pack
Adriano                      20/1
Monba                        20/1
Court Vision              20/1
Smooth Air                20/1
Big Truck                   25/1
Tale of Ekati              25/1
Bob Black Jack          25/1
Recapturetheglory   25/1
Gayego                       25/1

The Long Shots
Cool Coal Man           50/1
Anak Nakal                50/1
Z Humor                    50/1
Cowboy Cal                50/1

Bet on the Kentucky Derby and a whole lot more at BodogLife.com!

Popularity: 13% [?]

It’s never too early to start thinking about football!  With the NFL Draft coming up this weekend, we thought it would be a good time to start looking at who is favored to win the AFC Championship in 2008.  The Patriots are back as the odds-on favorite to win their half of the NFL with the Chargers and Colts coming just behind them.  Those three teams come as no surprise.  They were the best teams last season and they return the majority of their core players.  The rest of the list is strikingly similar to last year’s predictions by Vegas, with teams like the Dolphins, Raiders, and Chiefs at the bottom of the list.  The only team that appears to have impressed lines makers are the Cleveland Browns, who didn’t see a huge jump after their impressive 2007 season, but did go from 20 to 1 to 16 to 1, which is the biggest increase by any team in the AFC, so they are at least headed in the right direction.  The two teams that I really like on this list are the Indianapolis Colts and the Jacksonville Jaguars.  I honestly think they have just as good of a chance to win the AFC as the Pats or Chargers, but with better odds.  The Jags are particularly attractive at 17 to 2 (or bet $100 to win $850).  They are the team that always seems to be on the cusp of breaking through to the Super Bowl and 2008 might just be their year!  Here’s a look at the rest of the odds in the AFC for the 2008/2009 NFL season as posted at BetUS.com:

Odds To win the AFC Championship:
New England Patriots:  3/2
San Diego Chargers:  9/2
Indianapolis Colts:  5/1
Jacksonville Jaguars:  17/2
Pittsburgh Steelers:  12/1
Cleveland Browns:  16/1
Tennessee Titans:  20/1
Denver Broncos:  22/1
Cincinnati Bengals:  22/1
Baltimore Ravens:  25/1
Houston Texans:  30/1
Buffalo Bills:  45/1
New York Jets:  60/1
Miami Dolphins:  66/1
Kansas City Chiefs:  66/1
Oakland Raiders:  100/1

More NFL Futures Odds at BetUS.com

Popularity: 12% [?]